I had heard of the Carlingependi Academy in Birmingham many times but until recently had never visited it. Living in Cambridge, Birmingham is a bit of a trek, but when tickets to see Jimmy Eat World had sold out accross the UK, the nearest venue with any tickets left was this one.
We arrived at the Venue about an hour and a half early and joined the queue. The queue was long but well managed by the Venue, the atmosphere was excellent despite it being one of the coldest nights of the year.
On entering the venue the ticket check process was very fast and before we knew it we were inside the venue. The Venue is broked into two floors. the ground floor bing the biggest of the two, and the ballcony being the second floor with its own bar and overlooking the stage.
Depending on what type of music fan you are really decides which floor you would want to aim for. If you want to be deep in the ground vibrating with the amps go for the ground floor. If you want to hear and watch the band in a good camera location while having a drink, aim for upstairs.
The whole night was well managed and with a Taxi rank just outside, when the time came to bail, there was no problem in getting home. (Or in our case the hotel)

After seeing quite a selection of gigs around the midlands in Birmingham , Manchester , Wolverhampton and the surrounding city’s of telford i recommend this venue to anyone its big enough for top artists to come to easy enough to get to after you get around the road layout and what not first time was a tricky 10 minuets to find it before parking but that aside its better then NIA or NEC. back to size although its a big enough venue its all so better because its not huge at places such as NEC or NIA as i mentioned before it sometimes feels a little less interacting where as Carling Academy is big enough yet a bit more interactive towards the audience this is probably because of the two stories, ending my dribble here if it was me the first thing i check when a bands touring is are they stopping here or Wolverhampton (just closer) if they are it makes me want to go and usually i do well worth it. 4/5 only on personal preference otherwise a 5/5

Great bands, tiny venue. Bit shabby these days though. Very popular with students on the Indi scene.

Located in Birmingham city centre, this place hosts a huge number of gigs all through out the year. Here, you'll get both local and international stars of all sorts performing. Both unknown, upcoming bands and well established bands tend to play. The Academy is mainly famous for showcasing new and unknown bands before they hit the mainstream so its definitely worth checking out the listings and pre-booking your tickets for the gigs of your choice. Highly recommended.

The Academy is the heart of Birmingham's rock scene. It's split into The Academy, Academy 2, and Bar Academy; The Academy being saved for the biggest names, Academy 2 for smaller and often unsigned bands whilst Bar Academy occasionally holds gigs it is mainly used as a pre-bar for the club nights held after the gigs.

The Academy was my second home while I was growing up, as I was there at least 3 times a week for about 5 years! What I loved about it was how friendly it is - most of the people there have been going there for years, and there's a real sense of community about the place. Everone looks out for each other; if you fall over in the pit you know someone will pick you straight back up again.

Friday nights are Ramshackle, a club night for Indie lovers and what is now days more like pop music than proper Indie. As Indie has become more and mroe fashionable, so has Ramshackle and its now very packed, although still a good laugh. Saturday night is Subculture, which is a heavier night than Saturdays. This is when you get the true music lovers rather than just the crowd followers, and the atmosphere is amazing, as the crowd know and love every song. Always willing to play requests, the DJ is a living legend.

The Carling Academy in Birmingham is arguably the city's premier music venue for indie-rock acts. It's main room is a good size; big enough to get the crowds in yet still maintains a personal feel. The stage, above waist-height, does not feel distant or struggle to be seen across a sea of security. The large bar at the back of the main room is square in shape and has three sides of counter top so the crowds are spread out when ordering drinks. If nothing else, it at least feels like you're waiting less time for a drink.

On friday nights the venue turns into 'Ramshackle', a student filled indie-fest with a live band in the small room and a DJ in the main room. On saturdays it's 'Subculture's turn. Overall, a more heavy affair with the emphasis on Rock as opposed to Indie.

'Ramshackle' is a personal favourite of mine normally providing a good laugh. With cheap drinks (£1.50 pint of Carling), cheap entry (£3 with NUS), and cheap girls (just kidding!) it's usually well worth the visit.